The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing three-dimensional knitwear and hosiery items and products obtained thereby.
The recent introduction of xe2x80x9cfull electronicxe2x80x9d circular knitting machines with differentiated diameters has attracted the knitting industry""s interest since the versatility of these machines allows to produce a wide range of knitwear and hosiery items, such as for instance bras, pants, dresses, trousers, skirts, teddies, swimsuits, technical items, and more.
But due to some inherent technical limitations, such as for instance the lack of shoulder straps, loops and openings for feet, legs and arms, most of the aforementioned knitwear items systematically require laborious and expensive additional finishing operations such as cutting and/or sewing, with a high amount of fabric scraps which affect production costs extensively and permanently.
The present invention aims at reducing to a significant extent or eliminate the aforesaid technical and productive limitations, so as to automatically manufacture said knitwear items provided with shoulder straps and/or various openings, preferably without fabric scraps, with original economical, technical, aesthetic and commercial purposes.
Consequently, a main aim of the present invention consists in providing a method and its apparatus for manufacturing tubular knitwear items in general, with three-dimensional and shaped effects, provided with at least one shoulder strap, or loop and various openings.
An additional aim consists in providing a method and apparatus for manufacturing knitwear items such as for instance bras, pants, underwear and woolens, skirts, trousers, stockings, stocking-soles and knitted technical items in general, practically obtained with no fabric scraps.
A further main aim consists in providing a method and apparatus for manufacturing tubular knitwear items whose shoulder straps or openings are provided with single or double welts, produced both with the dial and with the suitably chosen needles.
Another aim consists in providing a method and apparatus for manufacturing tubular knitwear items provided with shoulder straps and various openings with single or double welts, produced by suitably using a particular thermo-soluble yarn, which can melt completely during the following production stages, typically dyeing, boarding and finishing.
An additional aim consists in providing a method for manufacturing tubular knitwear items provided at least with shoulder straps or openings on which sleeves, stockings or trousers, preferably tubular with cuffs or welts, are sewn successively.
A final aim consists in providing a method and apparatus for manufacturing also two-layer or concentric tubular knitwear items.
The above mentioned aims are substantially achieved by a method and an apparatus for manufacturing three-dimensional knitwear and hosiery items according to the appended claims.
Further aims result from the description, examples and enclosed drawings, per se or in combination one with the other, together with the final claims.
The features of the invention and the advantages deriving thereof are more evident thanks to the following non limiting description of embodiments provided by way of examples, and advantageously apply to most of circular knitting machines for knitwear and hosiery.